The Patriot Designed by Robert Trent Jones II

Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects is part of the team creating The Patriot, home course of the Folds of Honor Foundation (formerly the Fallen Heroes Foundation). Formal groundbreaking ceremonies are scheduled for late May, with the layout's opening planned for July 4, 2009. The golf course will be the centerpiece of Stone Canyon, a residential community in Owasso, 15 minutes northeast of Tulsa.

Conceived by Daniel J. Rooney, PGA, of Stillwater, Okla., an F-16 pilot in the 125th Fighter Squadron of the Oklahoma Air National Guard, The Patriot and Folds of Honor Foundation are his way to support children of soldiers killed in the Iraq war. Rooney has logged two tours of duty in Iraq.

"As innovators and philanthropists, the RTJ II team relishes the opportunity to be part of Dan Rooney's vision for the Patriot Club and play a vital role in the future of the Folds of Honor Foundation," said Bruce Charlton, president and chief design officer for RTJ II. "Dan's dream to develop a special place that transcends the game and forever serves as a legacy to United States soldiers is an example of how golf can be more than just a great sport."

The Patriot will weave through high prairie bluffs, wooded ravines and open meadowlands. Throughout, layers of limestone accent the terrain, which naturally buffers site lines between the golf course and the neighboring homes.

In its design of The Patriot, RTJ II is returning to the simpler, naturalistic approach of early 20th Century golf course architects. Because the identified routing utilizes the existing terrain, little earth will be moved. By contemporary standards, the overall construction is truly minimalist and respectful of the land.

The Patriot is designed as two nine-hole loops that include a separate set of junior tees. Current plans show the par-72 course playing to approximately 7,300 yards.

"Our goal is to create an environmentally protected sanctuary where people can have a direct personal interaction with a beautiful landscape," said Charlton, who is teaming with RTJ II project architect Jay Blasi on The Patriot. They collaborated on the award-winning Chambers Bay layout in Tacoma, Wash., that opened last year and will host the U.S. Open Championship in 2015.

"We're convinced that our care and respect for these surroundings are reflected in a world-class golf experience," Charlton said. "At RTJ II we see ourselves as stewards of the environment when designing a golf course. We're committed to sustainable design and development. And we're delighted that our design philosophy and experience can contribute to the creation of The Patriot."

Rooney, a former University of Kansas golfer, also established Patriot Golf Day, a national golf fund raiser that is expected to attract more than 6 million golfers at 10,000 courses throughout America this Labor Day weekend. Each golfer will be asked to make a minimum $1 donation.